amongst it's Arabic, the Arabic states.

Now the United Arabic Emirates has been ranked first while Saudi Arabia comes in third.

The findings are based on an evaluation of the investment climate in 109 countries

including 16 Arab nations through an attractive investment guarantee index.

Top investors in Egypt over the past 5 years

are China, United Arab Emirates, Greece, Italy, and Saudi Arabia.

The sectors attracting investment in Egypt include food, coal, petroleum, natural gas, chemicals,

and real estate sectors, as well as communications, cars, textiles, and industrial services.

Egypt FDI jumped to 39 percent in the first half of the current fiscal year

ending in June to reach about 4.3 billion dollars.

Now Yassir Kim joins us again in Cairo with more insight into these findings.

Yassir, welcome back.

Now, according to these findings, Yassir,

Egypt is the second most attractive market for foreign direct investment in the Arab world.

What is fueling this increased interest in the country?

Yes, it's a very good news and it's kind of a reflection of the strong work by the government

to attract foreign investments and economic reforms.

Now, Egypt is a huge market and this is important for any foreign investor.

Egypt has a perfect location on the tip of Africa

that can link Africa with Europe and Asia with the Suez Canal.

Also, you have got the new, kind of, high return in foreign investment

which is known in Egypt to be a strong country with high return for investment.

And obviously, the number of the free trade agreements with countries in the region

that would facilitate anyone who wants to open a plant or a factory in Egypt,

to export also from Egypt,

to the region whether free trade agreements in Africa, with the EU, and the Gulf states.

And these all path the way for any investor

if he produces in Egypt to market his products in the region easily.

The transportation obviously would be much easier around the Mediterranean and Red Sea.

So all these have led to Egypt retaining a strong position

and attracting foreign investments in the last year.

Thank you so much, Yassir, for that insight.

Of course, Yassir Kim joining us there in Cairo.